


midnight run

by kimchiii



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bisexual Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Bisexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Some Cursing, Teen Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-07 13:59:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19086487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimchiii/pseuds/kimchiii
Summary: Unable to fall asleep late one night, Adrien transforms into Chat Noir and visits Marinette. What was initially supposed to be a comfort between two friends may or may not become something more.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> eheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh
> 
> im a dumb 15 y old babey and i wrote this because i love them..... so much.......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeeeeeet

“Are you lonely, too?”

The question rings through Adrien’s head. It’s midnight. He has a photoshoot for a shoe brand he doesn’t care for tomorrow, but he can’t quite bring himself to drift off to sleep.

 _Midnight isn’t that late,_ Adrien attempts to convince himself. _Nino sleeps at three in the morning. Alya sleeps-- does Alya sleep?????_

Adrien turns in his unnecessarily large bed and sighs. What does it matter what time his friends sleep? Adrien usually sleeps at ten, being an exhausted, growing boy, as well as being responsible for his health, and _also,_ as a matter of fact, he and Ladybug only patrol for about an hour before they return to their respective homes.

_Home. Is that what I can call this shithole of a mansion? I love Dad, but he sure does seem like a pompous asshole._

Adrien sighs again. Plagg floats up in front of Adrien’s face and says, “When you’re done with your self-pitying monologue, bring me a piece of cheese. I’ll need it if you’re planning on staying out like I totally know you are.”

Adrien sputters, affronted. “What? I’m sooo responsible, Plagg, I would never…. ha…. pfft…. I wasn’t planning on…”

“Uh-huh. Cheese. Let’s go.”

“Right.” Adrien pads delicately over to his bathroom’s mini-fridge in his bougie-ass slippers and wrinkles his nose at the piece of camembert that he hands over to Plagg. “This shit’s rank. I dunno how you can eat it.”

“It’s delicious, you just have no taste buds.”

Adrien rolls his eyes. “Plagg, transforme-moi!” He tries not to snicker too much at the sounds of protest as Plagg quickly swallows the cheese and is sucked into the ring.

When he is settled comfortably into his leather get-up, he perches gracefully on his open window. The night breeze feels incredible in the otherwise sticky summer of Paris. Adrien shuts his eyes as he leaps across the rooftops, landing delicately on his feet and he lets his feet take him wherever he feels he needs to go.

Adrien reopens his eyes to find himself in front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

“It’s a good thing I’m hungry,” he murmurs to himself, and then he drops down onto the balcony of a certain girl’s room.

-

“Hello,” Adrien chirps. Marinette startles and falls off her chair, swearing like all hell and landing flat on her ass.

“What the fuc---- _Chat Noir?_ ”

“Why yes, mon petit chou. T’is I, the Frenchiest fry.”

Marinette’s nose crinkles up and she stares at Adrien like he’s grown two heads. Or eaten a fly. Both, maybe.

“Why are you here?”

Adrien blinks slowly, kind of like a cat. Why is he here? He has no idea. Maybe it’s because he’s hungry, or maybe he trusts Marinette a lot more than he’ll let on, or maybe he can’t stop thinking about the last time they interacted like this, as Chat Noir and Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

 _Are you lonely, too? Have you also had your heart broken?_ Adrien thinks about Marinette’s sorrow and loneliness and the way he feels like they share the same problems. He wants to find solace in her.

“I dunno, princess. Do you have leftovers from the bakery? Your lovely guest here is starving.”

Marinette rolls her eyes. Her smile softens into something welcoming and almost familiar. “Wait inside, where there’s actually air conditioning. Bring my sketchbook in too, please. I’ll bring you as much food as I can find.”

Adrien happily scoops up Marinette’s art supplies and organizes them neatly onto her desk. He turns to see Marinette balancing plates piled on high of pastries, croissants, desserts, and more. She places them down on the floor amongst scattered papers, drawings, and fading paint stains.

“Eat up,” she says, seemingly excited. Adrien briefly wonders if she made this herself. He asks her as much, grinning as she flushes and nods her head.

Adrien takes a bite of a flaky croissant, humming delightfully at the fluffy, cloud-like lightness. He licks butter shamelessly off his gloved fingers, enthusiastically putting a thumbs up for Marinette, who claps softly.

He closes his eyes. There’s something really nice about this. Marinette’s computer lights up the room with a dim blue glow and soft indie music plays from her speakers. The window is open just enough for them to hear bugs chirping and singing in the night. Marinette steps around the room barefoot, dancing in her pajamas to the music, smiling ever so often at Adrien. He wonders what idiot is so blind to not want someone like her.

“Chat Noir,” she whispers. She envelopes him in a warm hug, squeezing ever so slightly, to make up for the words she cannot say. _Thanks for coming by. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone. Thanks for everything._

Marinette sends him off with a box of pastries that he could not finish, and Adrien runs off his high, balancing the food on his arms and trying not to think too hard about a kind girl who waves him away, hastily tied hair bobbing slightly in the summer wind.

-

Adrien wakes up tired, but refreshed. Staying up with Marinette was worth it, will be in the future when he inevitably visits her again. He leaves the house with a skip in his step and grins out the window of the sleek sports car all the way to school.

As he settles into his seat in class, he can’t help but notice Marinette yawning tiredly, stretching all the way out. “Did you not sleep or something, Mari? That’s your fifth yawn in three minutes. You’re starting to tear up.”

Adrien adjusts his bag, trying not to be too obvious about the fact that he’s listening in on Alya’s conversation with Marinette.

“Ah, well, yeah. I slept. For like, four hours.”

Alya shoots Marinette a dirty look, ready to scold her for staying up late, when Marinette suddenly says, “It was worth staying up, though.”

Adrien can’t help but raise his eyebrows in surprise, a look which is mirrored on Alya’s face and in her voice. “Huh? What the fuck were you doing at three in the morning, girl?”

“Ah, Cha-- um--- a boy---- no…. I got a special visit…. from a stray cat.”

Alya stares at Marinette for a solid thirty seconds before Marinette sighs and slumps her shoulders in resignation and embarrassment.

“A special stray cat. That isn’t actually a cat. It was a boy.”

A huge smirk stretches across Alya’s face. “Holy shit, Mari, did you get over yourself and finally ask Ad--”

“No, Alya, what the hell. Also, no, I did not get laid. We just hung out for a while and he ate a whole lot of food and then left.”

Adrien frowns behind his book and turns a page that he definitely did not glance over at all. Is that all it means to Marinette? Do they not have any connection at all?

“.... okay, Alya, you’re kinda sorta right. He’s totally my type--- not that I have a type--- but he’s super cute and I’m happy we’re friends.”

A blush creeps up Adrien’s neck as he flips another unread page. Marinette values their friendship! She thinks he’s cute! Marinette has a type! Adrien mentally pumps his fist in delight.

“Bro, dude, man, Adrien. Why are you totally eavesdropping on the girls?”

Adrien looks up, embarrassed and a little surprised. Nino furrows his eyebrows.

“I wasn’t---”

“Your book is upside-down, Adrien.”

Adrien looks at his book, coincidentally a sappy novel about two friends-turned-lovers, and finds that it is indeed upside-down. Whoops.

He discreetly shoves the book back into his bag, scratching the back of his neck. Is it hot in here, or is he sweating profusely from anxiety and complete embarrassment? Haha, it’s definitely not the latter…

-

Adrien visits Marinette again that night. She has a plate of food already waiting for him, and she’s sitting on her chaise, sketching what seems to be a Chat Noir inspired design.

“A little birdie told me I’m your type,” he blurts in lieu of greeting. Marinette’s head snaps up and she flushes a pretty pink.

“Wha--- I don’t have a type--- you’re not my type--”

Adrien grins and curls up on the floor by her feet. “What’s your type?”

Marinette sighs.

“I’m into blondes,” she says. “I thought green eyes were also a part of my… type…. but I was proven wrong when this bitch I hate pushed me up against the lockers and made out with me. Man, I hate her so much! But she’s hot, so.”

Adrien blinks in surprise. He didn’t think Marinette was into girls, too. How cool.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re homophobic? Come on, grow up, hero boy. It’s 2019, what---”

“I’m not! That would be ridiculous, considering I’m…. bi….”

An awkward silence fills the room. Adrien realizes, during this awkward silence, that the “hot blonde bitch” is Chloe.

“Happy pride month,” Adrien says, embarrassedly. “I guess I should’ve known from your rolled up sleeves and pants.”

_I also should have noticed that my friend from childhood, Chloe fucking Bourgeois, is a closet lesbian--- She definitely doesn’t flirt with me genuinely--- and the way she talks about Ladybug…_

Marinette laughs so hard that she rolls off the chair with a thump, directly into Adrien’s lap. She looks up at Adrien and scratches his hair behind his ears. Adrien, to his complete and utter embarrassment, makes a weird purring noise. He swears later that he’ll deprive Plagg of the cheese he so desires.

“Um? Okay?”

Adrien’s entire body turns red. He stutters out an apology that creases Marinette’s eyebrows with worry. “Don’t be,” she whispers. “It’s cute, don’t-- I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”

Adrien relaxes and cradles Marinette in his arms. “What’s your type,” she says, suddenly, booping his nose with a pink fingernail.

“Dark hair,” he says, immediately. “Girls and guys. Love dark hair.” He shoves the thought that Marinette’s hair looks a lot like Ladybug’s to the back of his head, because that’s ridiculous and he would never like Marinette like that, obviously.

Adrien talks to Marinette for a good while, rambling dumbly about nonsense, until he feels her head slump further into his arms. He looks down and finds her asleep, snuggling further into his embrace.

There’s a strange warmth in Adrien’s chest that feel different from what he feels for Ladybug. Marinette is different--- she’s soft, and she’s silly, and she feels less idealistic and more real. Marinette listens to Adrien, sees past his bullshit, feeds him yummy food, and smiles at him like he’s the only thing in the world that matters. Like he’s not a picture perfect idolized model boy, like he’s not a horny, flirty jerk. She sees a boy her age, real and exhausted and starved for affection, and she gives him what he needs without him ever needing to ask. He’s interacted with her, what, four times total as Chat Noir? But his heart is soft and pliant and he thinks that, at least in terms of friendship, Marinette is one hundred percent his soulmate.

He tucks her into bed, assuring her delirious, half-asleep self that he’ll be back, don’t worry, I love you too, and he slips out the trap door. The sun rises. Adrien feels like he’s in a movie.

-

Adrien’s visits to Marinette’s home become regular. Marinette waits, sometimes on the terrace, other times in her room. She ‘forces’ her lovely baked goods on him, which he happily eats, and he cuddles with her, because for some reason she’s always cold. Adrien brings her flowers and little things he’s written and small tokens of affection that he’s not sure really means anything, but her face lights up all the same and Adrien feels warm and happy and loved every time.

Soon, Marinette’s room is filled with Adrien’s gifts. He loves the way her room smells--- like bakery and art and _girl_ \--- but he’s incredibly pleased when he can start to smell traces of his cologne on the pillow she lent him the other night.

“Hey, kitty,” Marinette coos at Adrien one day. Her fingers scratch his chin and make his skin tingle with delight. “You wanna hear a funny story? A guy asked me out.”

Adrien freezes.

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna get all overprotective just because it’s in your personality, hmm? I said no.”

Somehow, the concept of her saying no bothers him even more. He can hear the “but” hovering over her mouth.

“I said no because my heart belongs to someone else,” she beams. Adrien’s heart sinks.

“Who?” he asks.

“It’s my favorite boy, you know who. Guess.”

Adrien tries not to let out a pained sigh. He feels like Marinette is torturing him with pins and needles. He’s being immature and jealous and dumb and he hates it.

“I dunno? Luka?”

Marinette snorts. “Not even close.”

Adrien keeps it up with guessing random names, becoming more and more withdrawn by the minute. Marinette creases her eyebrow.

“Do you… really not know?”

Adrien shoots her a frustrated look. How would he know who his princess is soOoOoOo into? He’s annoyed.

“Silly cat,” she whispers, carding through his hair. Marinette stops for a moment, fingers tracing his jaw, pushing his face up from where his gaze had dropped from hers. Her eyes sparkle.

“My favorite boy is you, obviously.”

Adrien feels shivers tingle along his spine, and it makes him leap out of her embrace with jerky motions. He feels stiff like a robot, or as unnatural as when his stomach growls in class and he moves quickly to cover up the sound.

Marinette looks at him funny for a moment and begins to laugh really, really hard. “Are you--- pfft, hahaha! Sorry, are--- are you--- are you okay?” Adrien feels weirdly clammy. Why is he clammy? This is very uncomfortable.

“I--- don’t you? Um? Like someone, though?”

The sparkle in Marinette’s eyes dull. She sighs softly, and a wry smile replaces the wide grin that stretched across her face.

“He… we’re just friends. I’m happy just to be there for him.”

Jealousy and sadness takes over Adrien’s body. Why would anyone reject her or ignore her? She’s incredible. Marinette is incredible. She deserves the best. She deserves so much more than some idiot that doesn’t ever look her direction.

Adrien is incredibly torn between whether Marinette is a good friend or something more. He looks down into her eyes. They are filled with an incredible amount of unrelenting love, and Adrien makes a resolve to find out whoever she likes and spray him with water dramatically, like in a Korean drama. Or something.

“Anyway,” Marinette chirps, “you can be my favorite boy without us being madly in love, or something. Like. Best friends. Soulmates. Soul friends? I dunno.”

Adrien smiles a goofy smile and laughs a goofy laugh and he can’t help it, not even when Marinette teases him. Soulmates! Soul friends! He loves Marinette more than anyone, even Ladybug. Even though he’s _in_ love with Ladybug, Adrien doesn’t think he’s ever loved anyone so much.

“Are you hungry? Need any food for when you leave?” Marinette asks out of the blue. Adrien almost declines when he realizes, as he glances at Marinette’s little pink clock, that Plagg has been trapped in his ring as Chat Noir for almost five hours now. He’s gonna punch Adrien in the face with his tiny hands.

“Do you… do you have any camembert?”

Before Marinette can even open her mouth, Adrien scrambles to explain. “It’s--- Ladybug and I, we have---”

“I know.”

Marinette sends him off with a kiss on the cheek and an entire wheel of nasty smelling cheese. Adrien grins giddily the entire way back home, thinking the smell is worth it since he got kissed. It’s only when he makes it home safely and is about to fall asleep that he realizes what Marinette said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> pls comment, kudos, etc <3
> 
> also happy pride month


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a little note to keep in mind: adrien is chat noir, obviously, so chat noir already knows that marinette is in ms mendeleiev and ms bustier's classes. i didnt really think about it beforehand, sorry. just pretend like there's a good reason why he said that LOL

"Shit," Marinette says as she paces the room. "Shit, shit, shit, shit."

"Language," Tikki chirps. Marinette sends her a wry look and goes back to pacing the room.

"Shit, Tikki! I said, of all things, that I know?! He's totally gonna know who I am. And then he's gonna hate me. Oh my GOD, I'm so stupid."

"He would never hate you, Marinette! Cheer up!" Tikki settles on the bed next to where Marinette has plopped down. Marinette shudders out a long, dramatic sigh. As she pulls her hair out of her pigtails and combs through them with her fingers, her eyes widen.

"What if I just make up an excuse? Or, a lie? Or---"

"Marinette, don't be silly! You don't necessarily have to lie in order to avoid a crisis. Just... tell him a  _version_ of the truth!"

Marinette raises her eyebrows. "You sure are sly," she says.

"Uh-huh, sure. I just know how to help when  _someone_ gets into a disaster situation."

"Hey!"

"Haha. Go to sleep, Marinette. As it is, you've only got three hours before school starts."

Marinette curses as a tangled mess of blue hair falls out into her hand. She slips under the blankets and falls asleep right away.

-

"Girl, if this mystery dude doesn't stop hanging around you all night, I'll personally beat his ass. What the hell is going on? You look like you died and got brought back from hell."

Marinette rolls her eyes to the back of her head. Yeah, she's tired. Yeah, it's because of Chat Noir. Does she regret it? Kind of. But she'd rather miss a week of sleep than doze off early, knowing that her best friend is stuck feeling heartbroken and trapped and lonely.

"I'll be fine, Alya. We all know that I sleep through physics, anyway."

Alya snorts ungracefully and shoves Marinette's shoulder. "No more complaining about getting bad grades if it's your own damn fault. Anyway, when are you gonna tell me who this mystery boy is?" Alya leans in very uncomfortably close. Not uncomfortably, actually. She's pretty and Marinette loves and appreciates her. But it sure is embarrassing to get totally interrogated like this.

"Um."

"You said he was your type, right? But what if you're lying? What if--- get this--- you don't even have a type?"

Marinette opens her mouth to speak. "Alya-"

"Oh my god! Is it who I  _think_ it is?"

"Well, I guess that depends on who you think it is..."

" _Luka?_ "

Marinette chokes on her own spit. What is it with everyone thinking she's with Luka? Sure, he's dreamy and she totally knows he likes her, but there's something that holds Marinette back. She snaps out of her rambling thoughts and hears someone having a coughing fit. When she turns away from Alya's suspicious stare, she notices Adrien basically half-dying.

"Adrien? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm--- agh-- I'm just, uh... dandy."

Nino laughs obnoxiously off to the side. Adrien quickly elbows him and smiles weakly at Marinette. She furrows her brow in confusion and turns back to Alya.

"No, it's not Luka. He's cute, though."

"I got that much, honey. He might ask you to go with him to the Jagged Stone concert, you know. He's totally into you. And don't even pretend for a second that you haven't checked him out."

Marinette sighs and bangs her head against the desk. "My mystery boy is much cooler than Luka  _and_ Ad--- I mean, um--- anyways, mystery boy! He's cooler than any other boy I've met before, trust me. I'm over these normal guys. No one compares to Cha--- um--- my... man."

Alya coos dramatically and blabs about making wedding plans for Marinette and her mystery boy. Out of the corner of her eye, Marinette can see Adrien's neck turning a lovely shade of pink. She wonders if he's having an allergic reaction to something.

"Shush, Alya. Just because Cha-- mystery boy is the coolest, doesn't mean I can't have a crush on seven guys at once."

"There's  _seven_?"

"I was exaggerating, you fool!"

-

When Chat Noir visits that night, Marinette has already forgotten about the previous one. It's only when he drops down into her room with a charming smile that panic fills her once again.

"What'd you mean the other night, Princess?" is of course the first thing he has to fucking ask, and Marinette screeches internally. She turns up her confidence to its maximum and hopes for the best.

"You're not the only one who visits the bakery, you know. Ladybug's kwami loves our bakery's macarons."

Chat Noir looks at her suspiciously, and Marinette can feel herself breaking into a cold sweat.

"I was so freaked out the first time I saw her! I thought she was an alien or something. But she visits a lot, and I give her macarons for free because I'm grateful that she's helping protect our city. It's a shame Ladybug herself never stops by, though."

Marinette shuts her mouth to stop rambling, and she hopes and prays with all her might that her bullshit story is somehow believable. Chat Noir nods, completely convinced, and Marinette tries not to melt into a puddle of relief.

"Anyways," Marinette says, decidedly changing the subject, "my friend Luka is probably going to ask me to go to the Jagged Stone concert with him, but I was actually wondering if you wanted to just, uh, hang out? On a rooftop near the concert? And then we could watch together?"

Chat Noir's eyes sparkle. "You really want to?"

"Of course--- mmph!"

Marinette's eyes widen in surprise as Chat Noir leans forward and pulls her into a warm hug. She quickly adjusts to make them both more comfortable, and she finds herself with a lapful of warm kitty. 

Chat Noir may or may not be purring, but Marinette doesn't mention it, half embarrassed and half pleased. Instead she plays with his hair, which is unexpectedly soft, considering how messy it looks. 

"Marinette," Chat mumbles. "I love you."

An incredibly strong emotion fills Marinette's chest, and she feels like she might burst with affection. "I love you too, Chat Noir. You mean the world to me."

There's nothing better than platonically kissing your best friend, Marinette thinks. Platonically? Maybe more? Marinette throttles the tiny voice in her brain that suggests something and instead goes back to peppering kisses all over Chat Noir's face.

"As much as I'd like to get kissed by you all night, I've got a physics test tomorrow," Chat says. Marinette can feel it more than hear it, can feel the vibrations of his mouth on her stomach, where he's buried his face completely. Suddenly, her heart drops in a panic, and she sits up abruptly.

"I've got a physics test tomorrow, too. Oh no, oh no, oh no! I didn't study at all--- Ms. Mendeleiev will kill me--- and Ms. Bustier, she's gonna be so disappointed in me---"

"You have Ms. Mendeleiev and Ms. Bustier, too?"

"--well yeah, obviously--- wait a minute,  _too_? As in? We're the same age and you're in my  _classes_?"

Chat Noir stumbles over a billion excuses at once, but Marinette can't even bring herself to think about that. "Never mind, that's not even important. I've got my textbook and my notes right here, you gotta help me out."

Marinette ignores the subtle sigh of relief on Chat's part and settles into her bed with books and notes scattered everywhere. "Make yourself comfortable, kitty. It's gonna be a long night."

-

It doesn't end up being that long of a night. Chat Noir is brilliant at physics, as it turns out, and Marinette places a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth, enjoying the way his entire face turns red. She lets him stutter out that he has to go, and gives him a box of food, as usual. 

"Bye," she sings, trying to stifle a grin as she sends him off with yet another little kiss. 

A few hours later, Marinette aces her test. She's feeling oh so good when she finally remembers that Chat Noir is in this classroom with her, right now. He definitely aced the test, too. Marinette suddenly flushes with warmth and excitement.

"You good?" she hears someone ask. 

"Yeah, totally," Marinette chirps. "Just thinking about... my.... crush?" 

Alya does not coo or tease her, which is unusual. Marinette frowns. That's weird, she starts to think, and when she looks up, she's not talking to Alya. 

Adrien stares at her with a raised eyebrow. 

"Um. Haha. What a funny joke, right?"

Adrien's eyebrows raise super high up. Marinette worries about his forehead wrinkles. 

"Crush, huh?" Adrien asks with a teasing smile. 

Marinette is suddenly struck with the knowledge that hey! She still has a crush on this guy! Her face turns very, very red and warm, and she giggles embarrassedly. "Yeah! Hahaha!" Marinette laughs awkwardly, feeling like a robot. Or maybe a doll. She can be a marionette doll. It's fitting.

"Do I know him?" Adrien wonders aloud. He taps a slender finger on his chin and smiles mischievously. Marinette feels like she's going to explode.

 _I dunno, depends on which of the three,_ Marinette thinks to herself. It's only when Adrien's sly smile widens that she realizes that she said it out loud. 

"There's more than one?"

"Ha! Hahaha!" Marinette wants to die. What the fuck? Why did her brain just betray her like that? What? The  _actual fuck?_  

"You know two of them," Marinette hums, channeling all her might into being suave and pretending like she wasn't just about to lose her mind.

"And the third?"

Marinette snorts. She can feel confidence oozing out of her now. If there's one thing Marinette is confident in, it's her best friend. Time to show off.

"I'm sure you know him, just not  _personally_ ," Marinette smirks.

"Is that so?" Adrien says, completely amused.

"Yeah," Marinette starts to say, but Ms. Mendeleiev is not having it. "Mr. Agreste, Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Some of your peers are still taking the physics test. Please be considerate."

Both of them stutter their apologies and turn away, embarrassed.  _Hey, at least she doesn't have to talk about Chat Noir anymore!_

-

Marinette must be having a terribly unlucky day today. 

She and Alya go to their usual lunch spot--- a baby pink table outside of their favorite cafe, the one with the specialty mocha--- and they start talking about the physics test, and 'oh what did you get?' and whatever else, when Marinette hears a very distinct "Hey, babe! Marinette, too! What a coincidence!"

To no one's surprise, Nino is accompanied by his best friend, Adrien. By the look he shoots Marinette, this is no coincidence. On top of that, it seems like their previous conversation is, unfortunately, far from over.

As Alya and Nino begin to chatter, Adrien tilts his head in Marinette's direction. "So, that crush of yours," he says through a mouthful of blue gelato. Strange. Marinette had never pegged him as someone who favored blueberry.

"What about him," Marinette asks, distracted by the cream dripping down onto his pretty hand.

"What makes you think I don't know him?"

Marinette whips her head around. "You know Chat Noir?" she blurts, immediately covering her mouth with a little squeak. Adrien grins. He didn't even have to outright ask who it was, because Marinette has a big mouth.

"Why in fact, I do," Adrien says. "I know him very well."

Marinette groans and bangs her head on the table. Multiple times.

"Okay well, if you tell him. Which. Go ahead, I guess. Don't tell him I have a... crush on him."

Adrien shakes his head in confusion.

"Sorry. Um... he's more than just a friend to me. He's more than my best friend. He's an extension of me. I like him, sure, but I love him so much more. I can't stand the idea of losing him," Marinette rambles. "So, go ahead and tell him that he's cool and cute and that I bragged about him. But just... keep this a secret, yeah?"

Adrien's expression becomes soft and mushy. "Of course, Marinette," he promises. "I would never do that to you."

"Thank you." Marinette suddenly finds herself hugging Adrien. "You're a great friend."

Nino whistles, and Marinette can kind of hear Alya flashing secret snapshots. She rolls her eyes.

"Anyways, Chat will probably come over tonight, so if you want to hang out with us, maybe...?"

Adrien shakes his head. "I'd love to, but I... I'm busy tonight. Plus, I wouldn't want to interrupt," he winks.

Marinette laughs. "Okay, well. If you change your mind, just give me a call."

Lunch hour is almost over, so the four of them walk back. If Adrien squeezes Marinette's hand before they get into class, no one says anything.

-

"So I'm cute, huh? And cool? And you--"

"--Were bragging, yeah I was bragging about you, what about it?"

Chat Noir grins. Marinette can see sharp teeth in his smile, and she's very tempted to poke one.

"Nothing about it, my love. Anyways. I heard you've got a crush? Scratch that--- two crushes?"

Marinette blinks. She makes a note to take a little bag of macarons to Adrien tomorrow, because she's so grateful he didn't tell Chat Noir.

"Yeah," she says. "One of them is Luka--- I know he likes me and cares about me, and he's really cute and sweet! But I think I like him in more of a, like, admiration kind of way."

Chat nods, encouraging her to go on. Marinette takes a deep breath and clears her throat. "The other one, I don't think I ever got around to telling you," Marinette says. "I've liked him the longest out of anyone."

"He's so sweet, and handsome, and smart, and incredible! I used to think he was perfect, but the closer we get as friends, the more I realize he's not. And also, the more I like him," she giggles. "He's always there for me, and I'm happy to be there for him too. I really... I think I might be in love with him."

Chat Noir smiles, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Go on, Marinette," he urges. "You can tell me who it is."

Marinette gulps and looks up, feeling bashful and nervous.

"It's Adrien."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey, so, i hope i didnt make this seem to confusing. if it is, lemme explain: marinette loves chat noir very deeply, and has only recently started to like him romantically. marinette has liked adrien romantically for a long time, and only recently has started to truly like/love him as a friend. on adrien's part: he's still in love with ladybug, but loves marinette in a friend way and maybe likes her as more. also, something to note: marinette has literally no idea about adrien being chat noir, meanwhile, adrien also has no idea about marinette being ladybug but he likes to imagine it as something "impossible but cool"


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, comment, kudos, etc <3

Adrien blinks. 

"Come again?" he asks politely.

"Adrien. Y'know, like, top model, son of Gabriel Agreste? I, uh, like him?"

Adrien is frozen in place, but he doesn't want to act suspicious or make Marinette uncomfortable. He throws his Chat Noir facade back on. 

"Like, Adrien, as in, my close friend who goes up the stairs on all fours when no one's looking? Who has had a crush on literally all his friends at some point in time? Who cries at every single animal video on The Dodo because he's a sensitive baby?"

Marinette smiles a gooey, dreamy smile. "Yep, that's him," she says. "Although, he definitely hasn't had a crush on me, Chat."

 _That's where you're wrong, fool,_ Adrien thinks.  _Right after Ladybug, you're the biggest crush I've ever had._

"Is that so," he says instead. There's too many thoughts going on in his head all at once.  _I have a crush on Marinette? She's the biggest crush I've ever had? Besides Ladybug? Am I in love with Ladybug, then? Wait a minute, what about Luka? Wait, what? I like Luka, too?_

"Chat Noir? Are you alright?"

"I think I have a crush on you," he blurts before clapping a hand over his mouth. "Um. But I still like Ladybug! But! I think I like Luka," Adrien mumbles.

Marinette blinks in surprise. "Uh," she says. "Right. Um. Well, I guess that means we can talk about Luka? Together?"

A warm feeling of love and relief fills Adrien's chest. 

"Yeah. We should. I'll see you tomorrow night, Marinette." He moves to leave, but he has a sudden thought that makes him hesitate.  _Kiss! Her!_ the thought says. 

Adrien leans over and kisses Marinette. Then, his eyes widen in shock, and he practically leaps in the air. "Oh my god, wait--- I'm so sorry, I didn't even a-ask---" Adrien's voice cracks.

Marinette looks at him for a moment. Then, she pulls him in for another kiss.

Her lips are warm. They're soft, and smooth, and they kind of taste like blueberry. It reminds him of her pretty hair. He sighs into her lips.

"It's, um. Pra-practice. For when one of us goes out with someone." Adrien does not like the idea of Marinette going out with someone. He does like the idea of kissing Marinette.

"Yeah, that's... that's right! I was so busy thinking about kissing, um, Luka, that I accidentally kissed you," he says. _Actually, kissing Luka sounds kind of nice. Kissing Marinette is better, obviously. But Luka is cool, too. Agh!_ Adrien discreetly pinches his arm. Now's not the time to be muddled in his own emotions. 

Marinette goes right on back to kissing Adrien. He definitely has no idea what he's doing, and by the way that their teeth clash ungracefully, he can kind of tell that Marinette has no experience, either. Marinette slides her fingers into Adrien's hair, and he all but melts. 

"Is platonically kissing your best friend normal?" Marinette wonders out loud. Adrien hums. 

"That's not important right now," he murmurs, and goes right back to kissing her. His hands cradle her waist, and she wraps her free arm around his neck. Adrien would very much be fine with staying like this for a while. Then, he remembers that he was making his way out. Because he's supposed to get up early tomorrow. So he can rant to Nino. And maybe, if he's lucky, he can catch Marinette free and talk to her-- as Adrien.

Shit.

Adrien gently pulls away from Marinette, who whines and chases his mouth. "I've got to go now, remember? I'll be back, Marinette," he says, voice hoarse from disuse.

"Mm," she says, finally. "Come back soon."

Adrien leaves feeling jittery and excited. His legs wobble slightly as he leaps into the open night air.

-

Morning comes, and Adrien manages to get up early, like he planned. He can still taste blueberry on his lips, and he can still feel Marinette's embrace. She's got strangely buff arms for such a skinny girl. Adrien wonders briefly if it's because she works in the bakery with her parents.

Instead of getting out of bed, Adrien sits and ponders his chaotic love life. He knows that Marinette is into him, and he's definitely into her. But where does that leave Ladybug? Also, where does Luka come in? Adrien scratches his head and decides on finally getting ready.

When he gets to school, he plans on making a beeline for Nino. But when he actually looks up, Adrien notices that Nino is talking to Alya and Marinette.

Marinette. 

Adrien can feel his face getting warm. He marches over anyway, as if he isn't completely and totally embarrassed.'

"Hey guys, what are we talking about?"

All three of them sigh dreamily. "Luka," Alya manages.

Adrien sits down on the bench and scoots closer to Marinette. "I wouldn't have thought he was your type, Nino," he teases.

"Dude, have you taken a good look at that man? He's so cool, bro! Like, a total god!"

Marinette giggles, seemingly in a daydream. "He's so pretty," she sighs. "I would love for him to model my designs."

"And he's so good at guitar, too--- wait a minute, you'd rather have him model your designs than me?!"

Adrien jumps up and points an accusing finger at Marinette. "Traitor!"

Marinette smiles and flutters her eyelashes innocently. "Whoops?"

There's something about the way her eyes shine that fluster Adrien completely, but he continues on with his charade. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng, mon cheri, mon petit chou, light of my life, you have betrayed me in the name of a handsome, guitar playing god! I can live no longer," he cries, and drops into Nino's conveniently waiting arms.

And of course, at that moment, Luka appears. He shakes his air out of his motorcycle helmet, looking up with a confused smile. "Hey guys," he chirps. "Just dropping off Juleka."

Marinette squeaks embarrassedly and tugs on Adrien's arm, who, meanwhile, has scrambled out of Nino's arms to cover his quickly reddening face. Alya and Nino are conveniently perfectly fine, being the happy couple they are. Marinette and Adrien push each other in front of the other in a continuous loop of mortification.

"You go in front," Marinette hisses. "No you," Adrien snarks in reply. 

"Adrien? Marinette? You guys okay?"

"Yes! Fine!" Marinette says, all the while pinching Adrien on various parts of his limbs. Adrien yelps and shoots Luka a pained smile. "We're all good here," Adrien finishes.

Luka opens his lips to reply, but promptly shuts them. Adrien follows the action with his eyes. 

"Well," he smiles. "I've got to go now. But..." Luka steps forward with a sweet grin. "I'll see you at practice, I hope?" 

Adrien's legs feel like jelly. Or mashed potatoes. Or straight up water, he might just fall over right now into a puddle. "Yeah! I'll see you then!"

"Great." Luka ruffles his hair. "Marinette, I'm hoping you'll stop by, too." 

Marinette garbles something unintelligible and buries her face into Adrien's shoulder. Luka leaves as elegantly as he came, and Adrien finally plops back down onto the bench.

"That was so embarrassing," Adrien whines. 

"Embarrassing? For you? I literally sounded like I was underwater just now! And on top of that! What do you have to be embarrassed about!"

"Because he's cute and I'm a mess," Adrien says, and then his eyes widen when he realizes that Top Model, Straight A Student, Fencing Champion, and overall perfection Adrien Agreste has just admitted to Marinette--- for the second time--- that he's bi.

Marinette doesn't even blink. "Yeah, yeah, at least you know how to talk," she groans.

Adrien snorts. He pulls her up from the bench and they walk into class together.

-

Night comes, and Adrien realizes that hey! He feel like he hasn't seen Ladybug in a billion years. Which, by association, means that if he sees her tonight, he cannot see Marinette.

He shakes his head. "I'll just have to improvise," he says. "Plagg, transforme-moi!"

Adrien slips down into Marinette's room, intending to apologize and explain that he has patrol tonight. 

She's not there.

He frowns. She must still be downstairs. Adrien shrugs and scribbles an apology onto a sticky note before he heads back out onto the roof.

"What are you doing in the room of a young lady?" 

Adrien practically melts. Ladybug's voice is oozing with confidence, with wry sarcasm and a teasing lilt. 

"Visiting a friend," he manages to say without falling over. "She's not here, which is strange, but I guess that means she won't mind that I'm gone."

"I'm sure she won't," Ladybug laughs. "Let's go."

There's something exhilarating about flying through the humid summer air of Paris with one of his best friends. Ladybug zips across rooftops and lands on top of a quaint restaurant with a twirl. "Let's stop here."

Ladybug turns and faces Adrien. "I've missed you," she says. "I know we don't patrol every day, but I still missed you."

Adrien's heart flutters, and his face burns. "I missed you, too, my lady."

She looks hopeful for some reason. "Chat Noir. I wanted to talk to you about... my feelings."

What?

The warmth that filled Adrien's chest is now gone. This feels weird, feels wrong--- he loves Ladybug, but he's so confused.

"I--- I'm--- that's not fair," he protests softly. Ladybug frowns in confusion.

"I... I love you, Ladybug. But I'm so confused--- I like you, but I like Marinette, but I also think I like Luka! But... as much as I like you, I'm not going to throw Marinette away like she's some kind of ragdoll, or leftover, or second choice."

Ladybug somehow looks even softer now. "You like her that much?"

"Yes," Adrien says, confidently. "Please give me a chance to work out my feelings."

Ladybug smiles. "Of course. But... can I kiss you, just this once?"

Adrien gulps. Luka? Completely irrelevant in this moment, for all Adrien cares, he's just a role model. And Marinette... he'll just have to explain and apologize. He's sure she'll understand. This is his first love that they're talking about.

"Yes."

Ladybug leans in and kisses him. 

But it doesn't feel at all like he imagined it.

He thought she would be confident, and experienced, and maybe she'd taste like strawberries, and her hair would smell like flowers.

Ladybug is shy, unsure, but eager. Her lips taste like blueberry, and she smells like...

"Marinette?"

She jerks away, eyes widening. "What--- I--- I have to go," she says.

Ladybug zips away again, but Adrien follows her, desperate to know the truth. She's too fast, too far ahead, and Adrien loses her around the corner of Marinette's home.

That night, Adrien does not visit Marinette. He goes straight home, heart pounding, searching his mind for unanswered questions.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> teenage feelings are confusing as hell, at least for me! i wanted to portray something realistic: not knowing how you feel, having mixed emotions, liking many people at once. feeling insecure. being spontaneous without thinking about consequences. and especially as a bisexual: liking girls and boys at the same time. wondering if that makes you invalid, etc. i hope you aren't too confused about the love..... square??? polygon???? whatever it is.... if you are, i'd be happy to explain. sorry this chapter is a little short!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry in advance for a short chapter ;-;

Marinette gets no sleep. She feels incredibly, wildly uncomfortable, and she wonders how difficult it would be to run away from home and become a yak herder.

She must look as horrible as she feels, because when she walks into class, Alya smiles sympathetically and pats her on the back. 

"Period?" She asks. Marinette doesn't have the energy to explain or correct her, so she just groans in response.

Nino, who usually pokes fun, winces and offers a concoction of multiple different caffeinated drinks that Marinette is pretty sure might kill her. She politely declines. Even Adrien looks weirdly guilty for some reason, and he waves at her as she moves to put her bag down.

Marinette sleeps through most of her classes, and at some point, she's even sent to the nurse. She just sleeps even more in the nurse's office. After she has a bite to eat, she feels slightly better, so she gets back to class. 

Everyone stops by her seat to ask her if she's okay. Chloe makes a bratty comment about how Marinette's just a slacker, but even she has a look of confused concern on her face. 

By the end of the day, Marinette feels like she's been run over by a truck. She wonders if it's too late to get that caffeine explosion from Nino. She's so caught up in her own thoughts that she doesn't notice when she bumps into Adrien, who again looks very jumpy and guilty.

"Marinette, are you alright?"

"No," she responds truthfully. "Something... happened with Chat Noir."

Adrien winces like he's been burned. Marinette furrows her brow in confusion and starts to head on home. 

"Wait, Marinette! I was actually wondering if you needed some company? Because, you know. You've looked so tired and sad all day." 

The girl in question stares at him doubtfully. "You're not going to try to get me to talk about what happened, are you?"

"No, of course not."

Marinette sighs in relief and tugs at his hand. "Alright, let's go then. I've got plenty of time to be kicking your ass at video games."

-

"I won," Marinette states. "Wow, Adrien, I'm feeling shitty today and still beating you."

"I'm good, I promise," Adrien insists. "You're just that much better than me."

Marinette smirks confidently and announces that she's going to get snacks. She's starting to feel okay again when she realizes that she's getting snacks for a pretty blond boy that she likes, and it's food she's made herself, and there's a tiny ounce of hope somewhere inside of her, just like the first time Chat Noir came by. Marinette's mood drops again, and she carries the plates of pastries up to her room with a heavy sigh.

"Finally, you were taking forever-- Marinette? What's wrong?"

She doesn't even realize she's been crying until Adrien steps forward with a worried look on his face and wipes a tear from her cheek. When he pulls her into a tight, comforting hug, Marinette practically breaks down.

"I'm not going to ask what happened," he whispers into Marinette's hair. "But I'm going to be here for you no matter what. And I'm definitely going to kick Chat Noir's ass."

Marinette snorts through her tears.

"I'm serious! If he broke your heart, I swear to god I'm going to rip his hair out."

"Thanks, Adrien," she mumbles into his shirt. "You're the best."

Adrien waddles over to her chaise, still hugging Marinette, and plops down. "You need cuddles," he declares. "No objections. It's happening."

Marinette lands on top of Adrien, and he catches her sides. Suddenly, she remembers that she's ticklish, and she giggles a little as she falls into Adrien's lap. And then she freezes.

"Are you ticklish?" Adrien asks incredulously. Marinette immediately tries to get up and sprint, unable to find any way to answer smoothly. But Adrien has an iron grip, and he uses one hand to hold her and the other to wiggle his fingers in her direction. Marinette shrieks.

After about five minutes of being chased around her room, almost kicking Adrien multiple times in the face, and falling over the croissants, Marinette stops in the corner, a good distance away from Adrien. "Truce," she says, gasping for air. Adrien nods, unable to speak as well.

Marinette randomly glances out the window. It's starting to get dark. "You should start heading home," she tells Adrien. He pouts, but gathers his stuff and makes to leave.

"Oh, yeah, before I forget," he says. Adrien kisses her on the cheek. "I just want you to know that you're one of my best friends. We should hang out more, so feel free to call or text me anytime you feel shitty. Or just anytime."

Marinette watches him leave in a daze. She smiles dreamily, and finally, her day starts to feel a little better than before.

-

Marinette still goes on patrol, but she takes precautions and makes calculated decisions to make sure she doesn't run into Chat Noir. In return, Chat Noir does not make any attempts to visit Marinette. It makes her heart ache a little, but she shakes her head and makes to get over it.

Adrien begins to hang out with Marinette more and more, until he's basically walking to her house every day. Most of the time, he can't stay for long because of Chinese, or fencing, or some kind of afterschool thing, but he always at least walks her home. 

At some point, Marinette starts to become very comfortable when she's with Adrien. She still likes him romantically, but she's so full of love for him as a friend, too. Adrien grasps her hand when they cross the street, and one day, he just never lets go.

There's something incredible warm that begins to blossom in Marinette's chest. The idea that this is a relationship that might actually work makes Marinette feel so incredibly happy. She's perfectly content with taking things slow, okay with communicating first and having healthy, emotional connections, because that was something she feels like she never quite had with Chat Noir. 

Today, Marinette turns to face Adrien once they reach the bakery. He looks like he's about to say something, but Marinette leans up on her tiptoes and kisses him very softly and quickly on the lips. It's just something small, something that she's fine with keeping at an innocent, surface level. Adrien blinks.

"I can stay over today," he says. "That's what I was going to tell you."

Marinette flushes pink. How embarrassing.

"Let's go in, then," she practically shouts. Marinette mentally slaps herself for getting loud when she's flustered.

As soon as they've both greeted her parents and gotten to her room, Adrien showers her with kisses all over her cheeks. "You're so cute," he says happily.

"You're so embarrassing, Adrien," Marinette whines.

"I can't help it, princess, not when I'm blessed by someone as amazing as you."

"Ugh, Chaton--- wait, Chaton?!"

Adrien squeaks and jerks away from Marinette with a panicked look on his face. Everything makes sense and doesn't at the same time. Marinette takes a deep, tired breath.

"Adrien," Marinette sighs.

"It's about time we talk about this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> breaking news: adrien made a Mistake and then tries to make up for it, works for the most part and then he does a Yikes

**Author's Note:**

> check out my tumblr and send me messages!!!!
> 
> [tumblr](https://kkimmchi.tumblr.com/)


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